The Vindicare is a popular Imperial Assassin with new players, but it takes a lot of skill to “earn back his points”. New players are often inspired to add him to their army by the portrayal of the Imperial Assassin in Vindicare, a short story by C. S. Goto (in Takes from the Dark Millennium), and by the “Assassin” in Relic’s 40k-based computer game, Dawn of War.

Veteran players often choose him because of the memorable story of Agent Morias Skult (Vindicare Temple, 2nd Class) who took out an Ork Gargant with a single shot to the fuel line. The resulting explosion killed 800-900 Orks. Sadly, the mission was only 86.3% successful. The High Lords have very high standards for their Assassins.

If the Eversor is the Officio Assassinorum’s sword, then the Vindicare is the scalpel. This tactica discusses the Vindicare, highlights his strengths, and gives you some suggestions for fitting him into an army.

VINDICARE 101.Although he rarely leaves his perch, the Vindicare is no slouch in close combat. He shares all of the combat statistics of an Imperial Assassin, but lacks a Power Weapon. What he lacks in close combat strength he gains as a Marksman.

The Temple Vindicare Assassin is armed with the Exitus Rifle (and three special rounds of ammunition), the Exitus Pistol, a Spy Mask and a Stealth Suit. Combined with the Marksman special ability, the Vindicare is designed to be 40K’s deadliest sniper.

The Marksman ability is what makes the Vindicare one of the most feared models in the game. This ability allows him to ignore targeting restrictions and target any model in range and line of sight. That means that hidden Power Fists aren’t hidden from him and Independent Character status offers no protection.

The Exitus Rifle is a specially designed Sniper Rifle with an AP value of 2. In addition, the Assassin has access to three special rounds: the Shield-Breaker (ignores Invulnerable saves), the Turbo-Penetrator (inflicts 2 wounds, Armor Penetration of 3D6), and the Hellfire (wounds on a 2+).

My favorite is by far the Hellfire round and I almost always use it on my first shot (usually targeting a hidden Power Fist or Icon Bearer). Nothing makes your opponent rethink his strategy than popping a model with your first shot.

Note: You can only use one round at a time, but don’t hold them back. Nothing is more frustrating than ending the game with special ammunition left.

The Exitus Pistol is a healthy S5 AP2 pistol. Most players forget that this pistol is often better than the Exitus Rifle when it has range. It hits on a 2+, wounds most enemies on a 3+ and is AP2. If the Vindicare doesn’t move, he can take two shots at a target within 12″. If you are out of special ammo and your opponent is close, don’t forget to pull out this gem of a pistol.

Note: You can also use the Marksman ability with the Exitus Pistol. This means that the Assassin can target TWO different models in range. Since he ignores targeting restrictions, those targets can be in different units.

The Vindicare’s Spy Mask reduces his target’s cover save by one and allows him to roll 2D6x5 for determining how far he can see when Night Fighting, giving him an average of 35″. His Stealth Suit forces the Night Fighting rules to be used when targeting him (and halves the distance if the Night Fighting rules are already in effect).

Note: The Stealth Suit benefits from change to the Night Fighting rules in 4E. If your opponent fails to roll the distance needed to target the Vindicare, he loses his opportunity to shoot. Since the average Night Fighting distance rolled is 21″, most players won’t bother shooting at your Assassin until they are within that range.

WHEN TO USE A VINDICARE.I regularly use the Vindicare in my Daemonhunters army, but rarely in my Witch Hunters lists. I dust him off from time-to-time to remind people that I might dust him off from time-to-time. In my mind, this has the beneficial side effect of keeping Daemonbomb armies to a minimum.

The best time to use a Vindicare is if you expect to face a Daemonbomb army. He’s also effective against opponents that rely too heavily on hidden Power Fists (or Resurrection Orbs) or an opponent that uses a single model for a large portion of his army’s Leadership, such as Standard Bearers, Books of St Lucius, Rites of Battle, Master Voxes, Commissars, etc. The Vindicare is unparalleled at disrupting lines of communication.

Note: The Vindicare works very well with Daemonhosts in a radical DH army. Since Daemonhosts are T4, they are very vulnerable to hidden Powerfists. I often use a Vindicare to kill the unit’s Powerfist before my Daemonhost assaults. It’s a nice combination.

HOW TO USE A VINDICARE.The Vindicare is easy for a new player to use, but improves in effectiveness with the skill of the player. He is user-friendly; I often refer to him as the “Point-and-Click Assassin”. The secret to a Vindicare is choosing his target.

You want to deploy the Vindicare in a safe location with a clear view of the battlefield. I generally place him out of my opponent’s path (the direction I expect him to advance), but in a location where he has a line of sight to that path. I place him in the best cover I can find.

Where you place your Vindicare determines how many targets he has and how vulnerable he is to assault and enemy shooting. Take great care in placing him (I usually have a location picked out before I put down my first model).

The next thing you need to know before you start the game is who your targets are going to be. Don’t wait until the beginning of your turn to decide. Re-read what I just said. If you can’t think a turn or two in advance, then the Vindiare isn’t for you; go with the Eversor or Callidus.

Dirty Trick #1: Didn’t get a chance to kill that hidden Power Fist before he got into close combat with your army? No problem. As long as the Vindicare has line of sight and range, he can target a model in close combat.

As befits a scalpel, the Vindicare can be used to shave Victory Points in later turns. A single wound on an Independent Character costs him half his Victory Points. As does bringing a Monstrous Creature below half wounds. A single wound can also deprive a unit of Scoring Unit status. If used carefully, the Vindicare can deny objectives to your enemy and earn extra Victory Points.

Almost as important as who to target is who not to target. Don’t go after a model you can’t kill with one shot. That typically means you want to avoid 3 wound models (and 2 wound models after you use your Turbo-Penetrator). Don’t go after vehicles. It’s tempting with the 3D6 Armor Penetration, but most players don’t realize that it only averages an Armor Penetration of 10.5. Don’t go after a multi-wound model with an Invulnerable save (unless you have to). Don’t go after a model that won’t have an impact on the game.

Dirty Trick #2: Ever have a pesky model that manages to survive a close combat in your opponent’s turn and denies your ability to wipe out the enemy unit in your next shooting phase? No problem. As long as the Vindicare has line of sight and range, he can target ANY model. That includes models in your own army. This also denies your opponent the ability to consolidate (often leaving him packed tightly from the previous turn’s Pile In move)…

It’s also worth mentioning that the Master Snipers and Power Generator Strategems are very effective with a Vindicare in Cities of Death. When combined with Space Marine Scouts (or Ratlings) this can make for a very deadly unit.

Note: The Vindicare works really well with other Snipers. I place them in the same piece of terrain (with my Vindicare slightly in front of them). If my opponent wants to shoot my snipers, he must make a Target Priority check. If he fails, then he has to make a Night Fighting test. If he fails that, he loses his shot. This only has to happen once before your opponent will move on to easier targets.

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Nice piece of tactica. But, I think you might be mistaken about several rules you suggest in “notes” and “dirty tricks”.

For instance I doubt you can target two units with the Exitus Pistol – BGB states you have to make all the shooting upon a SINGLE enemy unit (p.18).

I also seriously doubt, that you can sniper-fire into a close combat to kill off that PF model. This is simply not permitted (p.44). I definitely don’t believe that GW meant THESE tricks by the words “regardless of targeting restrictions”, cause I do believe that most people (including myself) would view this as abusing the rules (and that I’m saying as the Inquisition player, who himself uses this Assasin from time to time)…

Also, I don’t think you can do these dirty tricks of kiling your own model just to ensure your enemy won’t reach you in his Assault phase. Never heard of that. If you have the argument for that, please enlighten me.

Finally, I don’t know what you meant about denying your opponent the objective – if you meant killing off the models to get the enemy under half strenght, then yes, but otherwise the assassin doesn’t capture anything.

But apart from the above, as I said, good work and definitely some inspiring thoughts for my Vindicare. My compliments to you all.

Ixe

Hahaha, I never even considered the true ramifications of the “regardless of targetting restrictions” rule. It’s not a 100% sure thing that that this means they ignore the restrictions on shooting your own models, or firing into close combat. On the other hand, it makes sense for the most elite sniper in the galaxy who costs 100 points for 1 shot per turn… And the Vindicare is total crap without those abilities.

I think his problem is that no matter how you slice it, the Vindicare is very conditional. If your enemy does not heavily rely on squad leaders, this guy is pointless. And while he can no doubt mess up deamon bombs, or 13th company lists with there 4+d3 attacking, always hit on 3+, 100 point sergeants, his statistics remain totally un-cool. Without a special shot, he’s got a 5/6 chance to hit, but only a 1/2 chance to hit… That’s a 41% chance to kill. And even his single good round, the hellfire, only has a 69% chance to kill. For 100 points, this guy just can’t get me excited, even with the dirty tricks I hadn’t realized you could do.

Ixe

Damn it, I hate that this thing has no edit! I mean, of course, he has a 5/6 chance to hit and a 1/2 chance to wound, above. -.-

I’m pretty sure the Vidicare can do all of those things mentioned above.

Back in 3rd (and the wording of the “Marksman” rule has not changed one bit) GW specifically FAQed him to allow firing into an assault as long as he had direct LoS to his target.

Its kind of the entire point of “ignores targeting restrictions”.

DasAtomkind

BigRed – we are not in the 3rd Edition anymore…I’d say that the rulebook overrules this when it clearly defines, that units in CC may not shoot or be shot. I noticed on Warseer, that some of you guys are hooked up on literal R.A.W., so why suddenly not here ? :-/

“Regardless of targeting restrictions” means IMO stuff like IC not being the nearest target (mentioned in the codex itself), not having to test Ld for target priority, etc. I mean, shooting into close combat or shooting two different units with that pistol completely denies two explicitely said 4th Edition rules…

Nos

And so does targetting specifically a squad leader.

I hadn’t thought about that, but now I would say BoLS are correct (mitigated about your own unit, though). I hate RAW argumentation, but here it seems quite intended.

You say that because it’s how you’ve always understood it. To me, not shooting in CC is a “targeting restriction” as much as not singling someone out. I mean *semanticly*, I don’t see the difference.

And when bigred quotes the 3rd Ed FAQ, it is to point out that a Vindicare shooting into CC can very well be intended: it was the case in the not-so-different previous edition.

Mkerr – Hmm, I don’t know – I’d say that rules are made not to be broken, but to be followed. Actually, it’s not true that Assassins ‘break’ the rules. They have only their own SPECIAL or MODIFIED rules (and BTW – Callidus doesn’t have anything to do with Deep Strike rule, it’s Reserves rule), Eversor doesn’t break the infantry assault range rules, he just has the special rule of 12″ assault range etc. But the point is, that all these rules you might have on your mind regarding Assassins are clearly defined. The “targeting restriction” is in fact not defined at all (apart from the range and LOS attributes) and therefore I’d rather go with the standard rules from the BGB, in case of a doubt.

Also, since the 4th edition Rulebook is way newer than both the Inquisitorial Codices and presumably also that FAQ BigRed mentioned – and it states that shooting into/out of CC is impossible as well as that one unit may target only one enemy unit…well those are also Rules As Written, aren’t they ?

It seems to me, that GW unfortunately omitted something again while making a new edition rulebook and new errata, that would clarify this are – as usual – non-existent yet (and God knows if they ever will be) :-/

But okay, thanks for the tactica though. I am hesitant to believe I could do these things with the Vindicare. I personally even wouldn’t do them since that might be probably dubbed cheesy at best, rule-abusing at worst in my gaming environment …. and to be honest I hate disputable rules with no solid proof of how was this meant by GW game designers. That’s it from me. Thank you for the reply and have a nice day.

ixe

I for one don’t understand the basis for your argument. Every assassin, without exception, works now exactly the way it did in 3rd ed. The rules haven’t changed even a little bit, so why should their application change?

What we have is an “always” versus a “never.” You can “never” shoot into assault, pick out specific characters, or shoot your own guys. But the Vindicare clearly can pick out squad leaders and IC’s, since it says so. How do you differentiate between the rule that you can never pick out a squad leader and the rule that you can never shoot into assault? Neither one is less concrete than the other, or less universal than the other. There is no sensible way to draw a line between the rules the Vindicare can break and the rules he can’t break. Add to this the fact that he costs 100 points for 1 shot per turn which has a 46% chance to do a wound… He would be utterly useless if his marksman rule was arbitrarily limited.

carnelian

Mkerr QUOTE “In my reading “regardless of targeting restrictions” means the only restriction on targeting a model is that it is in range and line of sight.”

Minor point – surely the vindicare can still target units out of range, it’s just that he automatically misses.

APart from that, awesome blog!

God octo

Very well crafted MKerr, as usual. I can’t wait for future instalments 🙂

Thanks guys!

Moleytov

As for shooting into CC and ignoring targetting restrictions, it’s all well and good – except that CC blocks LoS, so you have to be on size 3 terrain to do it. just a thought.

Anonymous

Well it’s not exaclty open to interpretation is it? Sure it’s sweeping, but when one makes sweeping statements when writing rules you tend to be aware of it. For example: ALWAYS ignore invulnerable save. It doesn’t say, unless the guy jumps out of the way, or only invulnerables saves caused by refractors.

As such:Only LOS and range, regardless of other targeting restrictions.

ONLY X and Y, evetything else doesn’t matter.

You have to be pretty high to write a rule like that and not realise that you are making a sweeping statement.

ONLY LOS and Range, and nothing else, seems to sum it up neatly. You can work out the specifics, but it’s pretty clear. The argument stems from it seeming to break other rules, but you know GW with it’s exceptions to exceptions. Rules are btoken all the time. 😉

@Moleytov: You cannot draw line of sight THROUGH a close combat. There is no restriction on drawing line of sight TO a close combat.

Also close combats only block line of sight up to the height of the tallest model in the combat.

Anonymous

Mkerr, mkerr, mkerr, (you should recognise the intro…)

I can finally say that the firing into CC issue has been resolved, IMO anyway, after meeting Graham Mcneill a couple of weeks ago at GW World Nottingham. After the extensive devate on B&C I was fortunate enough to drop in at the GW world store when he was in attendance doing some book/codex signing and so took the opportunity to ask him the very question that was fuelling the debate.

Whilst he signed a copy of the C:DH I pointed him to the aformentioned ‘marksman’ rule and asked him the open question…

“Can the vindicare use the marksman rule to shoot at models who are in CC?”

Graham looked at the rule in question and said [quote];

“I can see how you would think that it could be possible, after all the rule has been written very slack, but as it is nothing can shoot into CC, not even the Vindicare.”

For me at least the word of one of the principle designers of the WH/DH is as good as gold and thus closes the issue (for me at least).

Regarding the comment above where heresay from lead designer are being presented:

There are a huge difference between what was INTENDED and what’s actually written. If they write “No Target Restrictions” and gives some examples of restrictions that the Vindicator can ignore, why should the other restrictions apply? Of course this is a philosophic-semantic way of approching the text but how can we else read the rules? There are many rules that are open for abuse if read carefully and some of them have been clarified via FAQs on GW’s homepage. As long as they don’t clarify the rule with a official FAQ it’s supposed to be interpreted as it is written, no matter if that’s contrary to what one of the game-designers intended. If the skill breaks some of the rules in BGB then they have designed a sloppy rule and have to pay the consequences for that.

“Q. I came across an interesting rules question about the Vindicare’sMarksman special ability. The question was that since he can “Target anymodel in range and Line of Sight, regardless of any targeting restrictions”,can he shoot into close combat?A. After some deliberation (we didn’t know either) we decided he could shoot intoclose combat, as at 110 pts he needs all the help he can get. Remember though,that he still needs a line of sight, which will be hard to get into a close combat.”

I guess that settles that and makes even more of a case that you should be able to target your own models…

Anonymous

I can’t believe the rule bending going on here. 40k is ment to be about enjoyment and most importantly, fun! Shooting into combat, spreading a squad so it’s out of coherency, unbelieveable! The fact the vindicare can target IC or individual squad members is all the tactica you need. For god’s sake, play the game in the spirit it’s ment to be played. That’s why i now avoid tournements, you get a bunch of wankers bleeding their codex’s and rulebook for all it’s worth. Sad… So sad.

Anonymous

Nicely put, Ive always thought he could shoot what he wanted. I wouldnt shoot my own man though!

Agree some people take this stuff waaayyy too far! Your meant to be having fun not arguing like little children.

I have to disagree with the people complaining about the “rules bending” going too far. This is a RAW interperetation. Muchlike the argument on “can you fleet after deep strike?” , it has to be taken as it is. Also, to the person saying you can’t split fire because the rulebook says you can’t, There’s one Tau and one Space Marine unit that can split their fire. Fact. So, seeing as firing at one unit is a restriction on what you can target (targetting restriction) and the Vindicare ignores them, he certainly can fire at two people with his pistol should he be in range. Not how it was intended to be, but how it MUST be taken due to the wording and lack of an up to date FAQ on the matter.

Anonymous

In 4th edition, there is no rule which prevents you from targeting a unit which is engaged in close combat (or a model within that unit).

What there is, if you’d bother to read, is a rule which prevents such models from becoming casualties due to shooting attacks.

Thus, the answer, here, is very simple:

The Vindicare ignores targeting restrictions. He can, just as can anyone else, shoot into melee. However, he cannot actually inflict casualties on an engaged unit, since the rule which prevents him from doing so is not, in any way, a targeting restriction.

Even if there were a rule which prevented you from shooting into a melee (which, presumably, the Vindicare could ignore) nothing about his rules would allow him to ignore the rule which prevents him from causing casualties against engaged models.

The long and the short is this: You cannot kill a powerfist while it is in combat. There is no legitimate argument for that conclusion, and the Codex: Assassins FAQ is clearly no longer applicable.

I read the page in question (44 for reference). “Locked models may not normally become casualties due to shooting.” This seems to indicate that there are rare occasions in which they do become casualties due to shooting. The example given is Blast markers and templates that scatter. However, this doesn’t definitively rule out a Vindicare Assassin. The rules against casualties in close combat isn’t worded as absolutely as you make it sound.

@Anon: Strange, when I talked to Jeremy Vetock (at the Baltimore GT) his comment was almost exactly the opposite. He thought the interpretation was very cool.

So until one of them is willing to make an actual FAQ, I’m going to stick to my interpretation.

On a side note, the largest 40k tournament in the world agrees with me. Adepticon specifically allows a Vindicare to target models in close combat.

@Anon2: How does allowing the best long-range assassin in existence to target models in close combat contrary to fun?

Personally, I think it’s very cool and very fluffy. And I never let the rules get in the way of having fun.

@Anon3: Who says that arguing isn’t fun?

@Anon4: Personally, I think the “you can target models in close combat; you just can’t remove them as casualties” is just about as dumb as it gets.

If that was the case, then ANY psychic power that doesn’t cause “casualties” would work.

Page 19 of the BGB (Choose A Target) makes it clear that models engaged in close combat can’t be fired upon. In context, it’s clear that being engaged in close combat is a targeting restriction.

Thanks for the comments though!

Cale

You can think that the rule is, “as dumb as it gets,” Mkerr, but that doesn’t stop it from being the rule. The rules on this are clear. There is no rule which prevents you from targeting a model in combat and there is a rule which prevents you from inflicting casualties on such a model.

You may think what you like, but thinking it won’t make it so. 😉

To address two other points, one of Mkerr’s and one of Stuart’s:

The fact that Adepticon allows the Vindicare to shoot into combat is irrelavent for two reasons.

First, a significant portion of Adepticon’s tournament rulings (and they will admit this readily) are not ‘interpretations’ of unclear rules, but rather changes to rules which are clear, but are contrary to the way that they feel the game ought to work. The fact that they have ruled in a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean that they agree with you about what the rule is, merely that the way you think the rule is corresponds to the way they think the rule ought to be. The difference between this scenario and one that would lend support to your position should be obvious.

Second, their ruling is that the Vindicare can shoot into melee, not that it can cause casualties in melee. In essence, their ruling is irrelavent, since it fails to override a clear rule which prevents the vindicare’s shot into melee from being useful.

Also, the word “normal” in the rule on page 44 isn’t functional–that is to say that it doesn’t change the manner in which the rule functions. It doesn’t make it not a rule, and it doesn’t give the Vindicare any legal room to inflict casualties against locked models.

Simply, all rules might as well say that they apply “normally.” It’s simply presumed that all rules may have exceptions. However, those exceptions occur only where listed–whether the rule includes the word “normally” or not. There is an exception listed for barrage weapons, and one for Template weapons. There is no such exception for Vindicares.

Without an exception, the rule clearly applies–to the Vindicare as well as everything else. The Vindicare is not “un-normal” in any way which is relavent to this rule. Trying to weasle out of its consequences because of its inclusion of such a word is the worst sort of rules-lawyering–though luckily the easiest to spot as loathsome nonsense.

Anonymous

At 110 points for a model that gets one shot a turn I don’t know that it is game breaking to allow the Vindicare to shoot into CC. Maybe add a rule as follows. Target gets a cover save due to CC. If the target saves that means the Vindicare zapped one of his own. 🙂 I am treading into house rules though but it seems to be a compromise that allows the Vindicare to use his unique ability while not totally hosing your opponent. 🙂

Vindicares are stated to ignore all targetting restrictions, and is even stated that he “may fire at any model he can see.”

This specific rule trumps the general rules in the rulebook.

A case could be made that he needs to shoot from a higher level into a CC, but he can certainly do so.

Equally, a case could be made far being able to hoot the last man standing in assaults, though this goes against a basic tenet of 40k in any edition, so it’s slightly less supportable than the other.

DMfromhell

VERY late, and I’m sure someone will be angry about this, but. I can’t see any reason why an elite sniper shouldn’t be able to shoot into close combat, because, regardless of the classic Hollywood standoff scenes you see in the movie, US special forces snipers and most SWAT snipers are trained to do this.

I agree with the previous statement, as it says in the last two editions of rulebooks, all rules in individual Codexes trump rules in the book. Since this rule applies to ALL targeting restrictions, you should be able to do whatever you want when choosing a target in range and LOS.

I completely agree. In my gaming community we always resolve ambiguities with the question, “what makes the most sense realistically.” I find it hard to believe a high tech super assassin does not have the scopes/auto targeting/ heat sensor equipment to not be able to shoot into close combat. Heck, even the US army now is developing devices that send out changing codes to avoid friendly fire. Why should someone 39k years in the future not be able to do the same?

Anonymous

Just as a footnote – US GW website has updated the FAQs for most armies for 5th ed – under Daemonhunters, it specifically states Vindicare CAN fire into CC;

Q. Can a Vindicare Assassin target a model locked in close combat?A. Yes – how cool is that?!

Anonymous

I was going to say that You can shoot in to CC, but was beat to it. F&Q on us site has it updated.

enel_hell

WOW!!!!! This Tactica totaly changed the way i use the V.A. thx lots

Anonymous

Nice Tac.

I am surprised how many people didn’t consider shooting into a CC as a targeting restriction. It seems very obvious.

I’ve seen him shoot models that were on a different table in a different game. (OK I’m kidding).

It’s so gamey and cool that he can now take out the Death Star with his 5th ed ammo now.

Anonymous

Well, now that 5th ed is otticial, some of the arguments about rules have been inadvertantly cleared up. I believe that the debate about the Vindcare’s exitus pistol is moot, since pistols can only ever fire one shot anymore.

Also, after reading the new rulebook, it states in the assault section that commanders cannot fire on their own troops. But I still agree that he can target models in CC, seeing as CC no longer blocks LoS necessarily

Finally, a point that has been missed is that the DH codex counts the Exitus rifle as a sniper rifle, and thus it gains the rending characteristic. This changes nothing as far as firing at troops, but if a 6 is rolled for AP, then an extra D3 can be rolled. This make the Turbo penetrator round more potent.

I know Im just bringing up old ghosts but I have had this argument still come up since 3rd Ed! Im sure this will roll into a larger mess but am I to understand that the Vindie CAN shoot into CC due to true line of sight and take out a friendly model due to the “Any Targeting restriction” bit!

I would think a member of the Inquisitorial Ministratum would care not for the lives of his “fellow” soldiers because they are not his “fellow” soldiers. They are merely tools in the service of the Emperor, and if their death serves the betterment of the Imperium then so be it. And as far as the “…they wouldnt want to be shot at in return…” bit, Who would dare fire on an assassin in retaliation?

I’d love to here some opinions on this!

Anonymous

do people not realize the awesome that is the turbo penetrator? sniper rifles are S3. plus 3d6 (average 10.5) that alone is average 13.5 AP FAQ says if you roll multiple penetration dice that have rending, you get d3 for each 6 rolled. BOOM suck it landraider.

Anonymous

I don’t play the tabletop but i play dawn of war and his animation in close combat is him shooting his pistol, well anyway i’m curios of one thing about him in the story he preservers his memories of his background?